1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of playing a game of blackjack or Twenty-One. More specifically, the method of the present invention is a method for providing a side bet opportunity during the game of blackjack or Twenty-One which is based upon the pointspread between the players hand and the dealers hand.
2. Background of the Art
Many different wagering games presently exist for use in both home and casino environments. Such games should necessarily be exciting, uncomplicated and easy to learn so as to avoid frustrating the players. Card games such as poker and Twenty-One have gained widespread popularity because of their established ranking of hands and well known rules. Furthermore, each of these games usually involve continuous wagering opportunities for the players thus increasing player participation and excitement. Lastly, the games move fairly quickly to maintain action and activity. All of these factors have created games which are widely accepted and widely known.
Wagering games have been described in many previous publications. U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,105 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,077 both outline the addition of a progressive jackpot component to a Twenty-One game wherein wagers are received for participation in this jackpot component and these wagers are accumulated over a period of time to create a large jackpot. Following completion of a hand, the players may win a jackpot payout based on the final hand received by the player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,917 to Vancura discloses a game wherein a side bet payout is based upon the number of hits each player and/or the dealer ultimately make.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,946 to Groussman discloses a game called xe2x80x9cTexas 21 Wagerxe2x80x9d wherein a side bet is doubled for a win and the player loses if he or she loses the hand or if the dealer""s up card is either a 3, 4, 5 or 6.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,730 to Pike discloses a game having a side bet opportunity wherein additional winnings independent of the main game may be made based upon the receipt of predetermined card configurations when taking hits.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,536 discloses a game where the dealer and banking functions are split or a xe2x80x9cvigorishxe2x80x9d. U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,360 discloses a game where there is no house altogether and the players play against one another. Another game, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,353, discloses a player vs. player game wherein the amount that is wagered goes into a xe2x80x9cpotxe2x80x9d in the case of ties and continues to grow from hand to hand until a winner gets a Twenty-One.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,485 discloses a game where there a various side bet options depending on whether the dealer receives a xe2x80x9cstiff handxe2x80x9d or 12-16, or a xe2x80x9csoft handxe2x80x9d. U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,391 discloses a game wherein the player may bet whether the dealer will make 21 in four cards or less.
Some examples of modified black jack games can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,429 to LeVasseur, U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,810 to Schorr et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,416 to Schorr et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,077 to Jones. Variations in wagering structures can also increase the excitement and acceptance of such wagering games. U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,430 discloses a poker game with an altered wagering scheme thus allowing the player the opportunity to compete for an additional prize or payout.
Other variations can be made to standard games to allow more player opportunity and involvement. U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,107 discloses a game wherein additional symbols are added to increase wagering opportunities. This allows the player the opportunity to place several wagers on different portions of the game while the game is being played. Somewhat similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,757 discloses a board game wherein the player is given choices regarding alternative strategies for play. Naturally the different strategies chosen have different payoff results. Unfortunately, this game is somewhat complicated and requires a considerable amount of time for the players to learn.
In the play of a Twenty-One game, there are many well understood strategies for players to follow. One publication outlining these strategies is Jerry L. Patterson and Eddie Olsen xe2x80x9cBreak the Dealerxe2x80x9d, 1986, Putnam Publishing Group. Generally, this strategy involves the player surveying their dealt cards, the dealer""s displayed card, and making appropriate decisions based thereon. For example, if a player has a card total of eleven (11), the player should take a hit regardless of the dealer""s displayed card. If, however, the player has a card total of twelve (12), the player should then consider the dealer""s displayed card. A hit should be taken if the dealer""s displayed card is a 2, 3, 7-10 or Ace. Other cards displayed by the dealer will suggest much different decisions by the player.
Some twenty-one tables offer a side bet game called xe2x80x9cOver-Underxe2x80x9d or some variation thereof. In addition to the normal markings on the table which are desirable for play of twenty-one (designated spaces for cards, designated spaces for bets, etc.), tables where Over-Under are played also have two additional designated areas for bets Usually the designated areas for the additional side bet is in the form of circles. Each circle identifies a specific bet, either xe2x80x9cOver Thirteenxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cUnder Thirteen.xe2x80x9d Before the turn of the first card in each hand of twenty-one, each player may place a bet as to whether the first two cards will total xe2x80x9cOver Thirteenxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cUnder Thirteenxe2x80x9d by placing a bet in the appropriate circle. An amount of money equal to or less than the basic twenty-one wager may be placed in either circle. After the deal of the first two cards to each player, but before conclusion of the hand, wagers made on the side bet game of Over-Under have their wagers paid off or captured by the house. If the bet was Over Thirteen and the total of the cards was over thirteen, the house would pay equal odds on the wager. If the total count of the first two cards was thirteen or under, the house would capture the bet. Ties in this game (any total of thirteen) always allows the house to capture the bet. This side game has attained some level of acceptance and popularity, but pay outs are limited to one-to-one ratios, with no special awards or multiplication of bets available to increase the excitement of the game.
Another well known side bet is the opportunity to make an insurance wager. U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,570 discloses such an game where a player can buy insurance against a dealer""s xe2x80x9cgoodxe2x80x9d hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,750 provide a means for players to wager on the occurrence of particular categories of black jacks using ranks and suits to determine categories. Black jacks may be grouped into at least six different categories, each category representing a particular arrangement of cards. These categories may include the following:
1. standard black jacks;
2. rank black jacks;
3. suited black jacks;
4. certain suited black jacks;
5. suited rank black jacks; and
6. certain suited rank black jacks.
These categories may be used to categorize any player""s and a dealer""s hand.
A standard black jack is the broadest category and it is a combination of any ace and any card with the value of ten (ten value card). No particular rank or suit is required. Under standard rules, kings, queens, jacks, and tens of any suit have a value of ten.
The use of these categories to make wagers has many advantages. Players are allowed to wager on the different categories of black jacks and find the black jack game more interesting and enjoyable than the standard game. Further, because the expected frequency of occurrence (odds) of some of the categories is small, very large pay outs and bonuses can be offered to players.
However, the sheer number and variety of ranks and blackjacks increases the complexity of this game and requires complicated payout tables, which in turn provides for slower play
Some of these categories require the concurrent use of two or more decks of cards in the game depending upon the number of hands and the categories applied.
In summary, it is desired to find a game that is easy to play and also fast moving. When the player is provided with a considerable amount of participation, and additional winnings based on card combinations not related to the base game, these games become much more strategic and enjoyable. Furthermore, a game is more exciting if a player feels anticipation and excitement from a number of different sources throughout the game.
The present invention may also be used as the basis for players to make main wagers and/or additional wagers. Wagers on these pointspreads are easy for new players to understand and to calculate and increases the speed and therefor, the excitement of the game. Further, pointspread blackjack, due to it""s simplicity, may be utilized alone or in combination with other games. All this may be achieved by modifying existing black jack games and does not require casinos to remove existing games.
The invention comprises a method for providing a side bet opportunity during the game of blackjack or Twenty-One which are based upon the point-spread between the players hand and the dealers hand. In an alternative embodiment, the invention consists of a method for increasing the payout for the main wager of the game of blackjack or Twenty-One based on the pointspread. The invention also includes a method for calculating the house advantage (or odds) of a game of pointspread blackjack depending on the number of decks of playing cards used, the number of pointspread opportunities (1-4 vs. 0-4), and the amount or multiplier of the payout.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a method of providing an additional wagering opportunity based on a pointspread between a dealer""s hand and each player""s hand in a black jack card game with money, gaming chips, and/or credits by one or more players playing against a dealer is provided, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing each player an opportunity to make a main wager to participate in the black jack card game and an opportunity to make a side wager representing a wager on the pointspread between the dealer""s hand and each player""s hand;
(b) the dealer dealing each player a player hand of two cards, and the dealer dealing a dealer hand of two cards, and the player and the dealer taking hits according to the rules of black jack;
(c) comparing each of the players""hands with the dealer""s hand and the dealer resolving the main wagers by paying off winning players and taking the wagers of losing players according to the rules of blackjack; and
(d) paying each player""s side wager according to the pointspread between the dealer""s hand and each player""s hand and according to a payoff table.
In another embodiment, the point spread is based upon the main wager rather than the side wager, and includes a method of playing a black jack card game with money, gaming chips, and/or credits by one or more players playing against a dealer, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing each player an opportunity to make a wager to participate in the black jack card game;
(b) the dealer dealing each player a player hand of two cards, and the dealer dealing a dealer hand of two cards, and the player and the dealer taking hits according to the rules of black jack;
(c) comparing each of the players""hands with the dealer""s hand and the dealer resolving the wagers by taking the wagers of losing players according to the rules of blackjack and paying off winning players according to the pointspread between the dealer""s hand and each player""s hand and according to a payoff table.
Similarly, another preferred embodiment of the invention wherein the pointspread is based on the main wager and not the side wager includes a method of providing an increased payout in a black jack card game with money, gaming chips, and/or credits by one or more players playing against a dealer, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing each player an opportunity to make a wager to participate in the black jack card game;
(b) the dealer dealing each player a player hand of two cards, and the dealer dealing a dealer hand of two cards, and the player and the dealer taking hits according to the rules of black jack;
(c) comparing each of the players""hands with the dealer""s hand and resolving the main wagers by taking the wagers of losing players according to the rules of blackjack and paying off winning players according to the pointspread between the dealer""s hand and each player""s hand and according to a payoff table.